My chest tightens under his scrutiny. God, he’s hot.
“Why haven’t you given up on me yet?” he demands.
“We’ve only been working together a couple of weeks. Why would I give up on you?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Everyone always does.”
I wonder if he’d be so candid if he were sober.
“I won’t.” I say it simply, but the silence that spans between us after my voice quiets seems to say more. It seems to imply that it doesn’t have to do with the job so much as the person.
I’m starting to care.
He’s an enigma, and I’m a problem solver.
I always have been.
“Why not?” he challenges. It feels like he’s trying to get me to admit that I care.
“Because it’s not in my nature to give up. I’m a problem solver, Maverick. I’m a fixer.”
He takes a step toward me, and it’s menacing. “You think you can fix me?”
I shake my head, my eyes steady on his. “I don’t think you’re broken.”
He scoffs. “You’re dead wrong about that.”
“What’s broken?” I whisper.
He presses his lips together as he does his best to mask the flash of pain I see cross his face. He’s hurting. He’s hiding something. There’s some reason he’s chosen to lash out at the world, and I’m going to get to the bottom of what it is. I’mgoing to find what’s broken, and I’m going to figure out how to fix it.
He remains tight-lipped.
“It’s okay, Maverick,” I say softly. “You can trust me.”
A small huff escapes him. I don’t mistake it for a chuckle. It’s more like a puff of disbelieving air. “You’re too pretty to trust.”
My brows raise. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t trust the pretty ones,” he says.
“You’re drunk.”
“Maybe. But it’s still true. And you’re as fucking pretty as they come, Ev.” It’s the first time he’s called me Ev. Hell, it might be the first time he’s used my name at all.
“Stop flirting with me,” I scold softly.
“Is that really what you want?” he asks, and his low rasp causes butterflies to take flight in my belly.
I can’t answer that. The truth is no. I don’t want him to stop. But we can’t take this into a new territorysober, never mind when he’s been drinking.
“Goodnight, Maverick.” I turn toward my door, unlock it, let myself in, and close it without looking back.
Because I know if I look back, I’ll see him standing there, and I’m quite sure I won’t be able to stop what would inevitably happen next.
CHAPTER 14: Everleigh Bradley
I Love That For Me
